I need help with my new saltwater tank

Question
Hi, I am hopeing you will be able to help me:) I am trying a salt water tank. It is 30 gallons. I have the pump a skimmer, and heater. I bought 40 pounds of live sand, and have about six good size pieces of live rock. I mixed the instant ocean water myself and added a live bacteria the guy at the fish store told me would make my tank ready for fish in twenty four hours(Bio spira?). It has been about two weeks now. I have tested the water, and I have had it tested at the fish store. I thought I had everything in order. I have tried to add fish two times now. The first time I added three damsels and the second time I added five damsels. Both times now my fish have been dead the next morning. I dont know what I am doing wrong:( I hope I have given you enough info that maybe you will be able to help me I really want it to work, I have invested to much money to give up.

Answer
Hey Melanie

It sounds like the guy at the store is only interested in $$$, sadly hes given you wrong info, but im here to help

You started right, mix the water, add the sand, add the rock, skimmer, heater, etc, but after that, you should wait for a few weeks, just to make sure things run good and theres no ammonia spikes. Truth is that biospira did absolutely nothing, the live rock itself eats up ammonia, biospira only helps in freshwater,

After a few weeks, it would be safe to add one or two damsels, sounds like you added too many at once and shocked the biological system. damsels can also be territorial, so i would get max 3 in a 30g. Once your tank hits 1 month old, you should see brown diatom algae, which is normal and will pass. after 4 months, you should get some hair algae, which is also expected and will pass. after 8 months, you will get red cyano, which will pass. after 12 months, you have a stable mature reef

The guy at the store is rushing you, saltwater tanks need to be built slowly. This will result in less problems, and less money lost from deaths.

Feel free to ask me questions any time on here, i check my emails a few times a day so you will never have to wait long for a response

sorry for the damsel losses!